In the operation of nuclear reactors, it is customary to remove fuel assemblies after their energy has been depleted down to a predetermined level. Upon removal, this spent nuclear fuel is still highly radioactive and produces considerable heat, requiring that great care be taken in its packaging, transporting, and storing. In order to protect the environment from radiation exposure spent nuclear fuel is first placed in a transportable canister. An example of a typical canister used to transport, and eventually store, spent nuclear fuel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,898,747 to Krishna Singh, issued Apr. 27, 1999. Such canisters are commonly referred to in the art as multi-purpose canisters (“MPCs”) and are hermetically sealable to effectuate the dry storage of spent nuclear fuel.
Once the canister is loaded with the spent nuclear fuel, the loaded canister is transported and stored in large cylindrical containers called casks. A transfer cask is used to transport spent nuclear fuel from location to location while a storage cask is used to store spent nuclear fuel for a determined period of time.
In a typical nuclear power plant, an open empty canister is first placed in an open transfer cask. The transfer cask and empty canister are then submerged in a pool of water. Spent nuclear fuel is loaded into the canister while the canister and transfer cask remain submerged in the pool of water. Once fully loaded with spent nuclear fuel, a lid is typically placed atop the canister while in the pool. The transfer cask and canister are then removed from the pool of water, the lid of the canister is welded thereon and a lid is installed on the transfer cask. The canister is then properly dewatered and back filled with inert gas. The canister is then hermetically sealed. The transfer cask (which is holding the loaded and hermetically sealed canister) is transported to a location where a storage cask is located. The canister is then transferred from the transfer cask to the storage cask for long term storage. During transfer from the transfer cask to the storage cask, it is imperative that the loaded canister is not exposed to the environment.
One type of storage cask is a ventilated vertical overpack (“VVO”). A VVO is a massive structure made principally from steel and concrete and is used to store a canister loaded with spent nuclear fuel. Existing VVOs stand above ground and are typically cylindrical in shape and extremely heavy, weighing over 150 tons and often having a height greater than 16 feet. VVOs typically have a flat bottom, a cylindrical body having a cavity to receive a canister of spent nuclear fuel, and a removable top lid.
In using a VVO to store spent nuclear fuel, a canister loaded with spent nuclear fuel is placed in the cavity of the cylindrical body of the VVO. Because the spent nuclear fuel is still producing a considerable amount of heat when it is placed in the VVO for storage, it is necessary that this heat energy have the ability to escape from the VVO cavity. This heat energy is removed from the outside surface of the canister by passively ventilating the VVO cavity using natural convective forces. In passively ventilating the VVO cavity, cool air enters the VVO chamber through bottom ventilation ducts, flows upward past the loaded canister, and exits the VVO at an elevated temperature through top ventilation ducts. The bottom and top ventilation ducts of existing VVOs are located circumferentially near the bottom and top of the VVO's cylindrical body respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 1.
While it is necessary that the VVO cavity be vented so that heat can escape from the canister, it is also imperative that the VVO provide adequate radiation shielding and that the spent nuclear fuel not be directly exposed to the external environment. The inlet duct located near the bottom of the overpack is a particularly vulnerable source of radiation exposure to security and surveillance personnel who, in order to monitor the loaded overpacks, must place themselves in close vicinity of the ducts for short durations.
Additionally, when a canister loaded with spent nuclear fuel is transferred from a transfer cask to a storage VVO, the transfer cask is stacked atop the storage VVO so that the canister can be lowered into the storage VVO's cavity. Most casks are very large structures and can weigh up to 250,000 lbs. and have a height of 16 ft. or more. Stacking a transfer cask atop a storage VVO/cask requires a lot of space, a large overhead crane, and possibly a restraint system for stabilization. Often, such space is not available inside a nuclear power plant. Finally, above ground storage VVOs stand at least 16 feet above ground, thus, presenting a sizable target of attack to a terrorist.
FIG. 1 illustrates a traditional prior art VVO 1. The prior art VVO 1 comprises a flat bottom 7, a cylindrical body 2, and a lid 4. The lid 4 is secured to a cylindrical body 2 by a plurality of bolts 8. The bolts 8 serve to restrain separation of the lid 4 from the body 2 if the prior art VVO 1 were to tip over. The cylindrical body 2 has a plurality of top ventilation ducts 5 and a plurality of bottom ventilation ducts 6. The top ventilation ducts 5 are located at or near the top of the cylindrical body 2 while the bottom ventilation ducts 6 are located at or near the bottom of the cylindrical body 2. Both the bottom ventilation ducts 6 and the top ventilation ducts 5 are located around the circumference of the cylindrical body 2. The entirety of the prior art VVO 2 is positioned above grade and, therefore, suffers from a number of the drawbacks discussed above and remedied by the present invention.